1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to cooking appliances that include reversible grids for cooking different types of food. More specifically, this invention relates to home cooking appliances, such as waffle irons and grills, that can cook two different types of food by means of reversible cooking surfaces.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of cooking appliances permit cooking of different foods by the use of reversible cooking elements. U.S. Pat. No. 2,899,888 (1959) to Koci discloses one such cooking appliance in the form of a combined waffle baker and grill. This particular appliance has two hinged cases. Each case contains a radiant heating element to one side of a cooking grid. Each grid has a flat cooking surface on one side and waffle cooking surface on the other. To change from one surface to another, each grid is reversed and reinserted into its corresponding case. It has been found that cooking appliances, such as shown in the Koci patent, that use radiant heating of one side of the cooking grid produce uneven heating of the grid and inefficient heat transfer that leads to longer baking times.
Temperature control of a baking surface, as shown in the Koci patent, is obtained by sensing the temperature of separate thermal mass that possess characteristics similar to the cooking grid. This approach does not always provide accurate temperature control of the heating elements themselves.
Reversing the grids requires the grids to be removed. This procedure exposes the heating elements, such as direct heating wires that are subject to damage if contacted. This feature further makes it difficult to clean the interior of such cooking appliances.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,145 (1976) to Maisch discloses a combination grilling and baking apparatus with two parts hinged by a pantograph like device. Each part carries a cooking element that has different cooking surfaces. The Maisch patent discloses waffle baking and meat grilling surfaces. Each cooking unit has a central elongated and transverse sleeve. Each hinge part carries a heating element. When a cooking element is installed the heating element inserts into the sleeve.
This apparatus seems to use a conventional bi-metal control for temperature. Like the device shown in the Koci patent, the combination grilling and baking apparatus disclosed in the Maisch patent requires direct handling of the cooking elements and exposure of the heating element when a cooking element is removed for reversal. Further, even with the cooking elements removed, the heating element makes it difficult to clean the remainder of the cooking appliance.
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide two reversible cooking surfaces that permit accurate temperature control with even heating.
Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical appliance with two reversible cooking surfaces that enables the reversal of the cooking surfaces without exposing any heating elements.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an electrical appliance with two reversible cooking surfaces that facilitates cleaning of the entire appliance.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a cooking appliance in the form of a waffle iron that can cook two different types of waffles on reversible surfaces with accurate cooking of such waffles.
In accordance with this invention, an electrical cooking appliance includes a base. A first assembly hinges for rotation on the base about a first axis and the first assembly includes a contact box that electrically and mechanically supports a first two-sided detachable cooking element with an integral, embedded heating element. A second assembly hinges for rotation on the base about a second axis that is parallel to and spaced above the first axis. The second assembly includes a contact box that electrically and mechanically supports a second two-sided detachable cooking element with an integral, centrally embedded heating element. The second contact box includes a controller for the energization of the first and second heating elements.